Home » How We Ended Up Choosing That Weird Ghost Topshot Which, In Retrospect, Was Maybe The Bad Kind Of Weird: Tales From The Slack

How We Ended Up Choosing That Weird Ghost Topshot Which, In Retrospect, Was Maybe The Bad Kind Of Weird: Tales From The Slack

Jim Doyle
ADVERTISEMENT

Thank you for reading The Autopian! If you’re seeing this text it means this content is for official members only. If you want to experience this automotive goodness, please consider supporting us by becoming a member. Thank you very much!

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on whatsapp
WhatsApp
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on reddit
Reddit
Subscribe
Notify of
27 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Gee See
Gee See
9 months ago

That guy in the picture reminds me of Joss Ackland. He starred in Pet Shop Boy’s You are always on my mind.. they were in a Ford Zephyr 6.

Last edited 9 months ago by Gee See
Chronometric
Chronometric
10 months ago

I also thought the ghost text was an odd choice but I read the article. Having experienced the corporate world as both a worker and executive, I have empathy for all sides: the corporate execs trying to find a safe port with a leaky boat, the workers rowing hard without knowing an iceberg is looming, and the unfortunate dude who had to go through with this ceremony knowing it was probably a farce.

Framed
Framed
10 months ago

So I’m a paid member but only see the non-member message when I try to read this article. Is there a way to reach tech support?

Ramblin' Gamblin' Man
Ramblin' Gamblin' Man
10 months ago
Reply to  Framed

Send an email to : matt@TheAutopian.com

Ham On Five
Ham On Five
10 months ago
JerryLH3
JerryLH3
10 months ago

Put me in the “that was not the best topshot” category. It felt a little clunky and for some reason I tried to read the press release in the shot to see if some key item was in there. I did find it very weird they were ghosted.

Eric W
Eric W
10 months ago

The Best is the Enemy of Good -Voltaire

Andrea Petersen
Andrea Petersen
10 months ago

If it makes you feel any better, I found it very interesting and didn’t find the topshot creepy, but it could have been plain text without any shot at all and I still would have clicked.

Crank Shaft
Crank Shaft
10 months ago

I generally try to be positive, but yeah, that topshot was a fail. Jason can’t come back soon enough.

Mr Sarcastic
Mr Sarcastic
10 months ago

I’d have done the empty factory with the 3 guys just barely recognizable superimposed over it then place it under a missing person’s flyer. Then intro it with the promise, then how after the great press they are no longer around and Noone can find them.

Jack Trade
Jack Trade
10 months ago
Reply to  Mr Sarcastic

I like this image, can see it vividly in my head!

Mr Sarcastic
Mr Sarcastic
10 months ago
Reply to  Jack Trade

Thank You, What they say is true you can never get the ink out of your blood.

rctothefuture
rctothefuture
10 months ago

Hey Matt, I’ve not been able to read Member’s Only Posts, but I pay my subscription every month. Am I missing something?

David Tracy
David Tracy
10 months ago
Reply to  rctothefuture

We’re on it!

rctothefuture
rctothefuture
10 months ago
Reply to  David Tracy

Thanks David, I was going to reach out on Facebook but didn’t want to be a bother. Always appreciate your help!

Amberturnsignalsarebetter
Amberturnsignalsarebetter
10 months ago

FWIW, I don’t think the number of minutes since you last posted should be a deciding factor for when new content goes up. I realize this post is mostly about the graphic than the text, but I would rather see 5 fully-baked Autopian stories a day than 10 half-baked.

Just publish content when you think it’s ready, and then watch the fireworks as we criticize all of your editorial/graphical judgments in the comments.

AssMatt
AssMatt
10 months ago

Agreed, even as a serial page-refresher.

(That said, given the frequency with which the Autopian Pit Crew highlight the desire to differ from the old site, I don’t worry too much about it; even when stuff like embedded video is discussed in front of us, it’s with transparency and an abundance of caution. It’s evident that Quality trumps Quality at every level.)

Mr Sarcastic
Mr Sarcastic
10 months ago

Agreed but I wouldn’t mind an email when a new story is available. I realize it might be annoying to some but since moving West and getting on PST I often come just to find yesterday’s stories.

Jack Beckman
Jack Beckman
10 months ago
Reply to  Mr Sarcastic

Get an RSS reader (some are free) and you can subscribe to the RSS feed. RSS is not as dead as people think it is.

10001010
10001010
10 months ago

It was the original headline that drove me to click on and read that article, I’m not sure if the current headline would or not. The image wasn’t that important in my decision for this particular article but I like the ghost people version.

That said, I do agree that every article needs an image. This is an argument I’ve had with the editorial department at my current employment for over a decade now. My pleas that our articles don’t just live on the homepage of our site and that they should also be shared on social where an image is basically mandatory has fallen on deaf ears.

Mr Sarcastic
Mr Sarcastic
10 months ago
Reply to  10001010

Agreed I was in newspapers circulation for 25 years. You had limited space, a half page above the fold and a set amount of pages. With online journalism every story can post like the days headline. But some sites still design for print.

10001010
10001010
10 months ago
Reply to  Mr Sarcastic

Our editors just kept focusing on how the articles looked on our homepage. The ones in the main section they would give images but smaller stories in the sidebar were headline only so they didn’t understand the need for an image and they were all “too busy to look for a relevant image”. Just couldn’t convince them that the articles will also be seen elsewhere on the web.

Mr Sarcastic
Mr Sarcastic
10 months ago
Reply to  10001010

Yes new technology being run by old style.

Jack Trade
Jack Trade
10 months ago

I’m assuming with the odd pic, “gut wrenching” was too on the nose or possibly seeming to suggest some sort of autopian New Years resolution fitness rant?

Amberturnsignalsarebetter
Amberturnsignalsarebetter
10 months ago
Reply to  Jack Trade

Could have gone with ‘heart-wrenching’ and folks would click to see graphic photos of Jason’s bloody chest cavity jammed open with a couple of jack stands.

Jack Trade
Jack Trade
10 months ago

Right? I don’t remember even a single line about the dangers of losing vital fluid pressure either.

27
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x